


The Fake Divorce

by books_actually



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Not Fake Marriage, fake divorce
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:35:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27882357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/books_actually/pseuds/books_actually
Summary: The feelings between Jack and Phryne can barely be contained and then a case makes Jack ponder why hasn't he declared the true extent of his feelings to the brilliant lady detective in front of him.
Relationships: Phryne Fisher/Jack Robinson
Comments: 6
Kudos: 74





	The Fake Divorce

Jack Robinson considered the staircase in front of him. He used that staircase a lot, since he was the Senior Detective Inspector of City South Police Station and his presence was often required at the courtroom. But having to take the stairs to the courtroom and get a divorce, again, was not a pleasant feeling despite knowing that this time it was fake. A fake divorce in an attempt to solve a case… the things Miss Fisher came up with never ceased to amaze him.

A couple months ago, women had been showing up dead all over Melbourne. At first, these deaths did not seem related but a pattern started to emerge. All of them were recently divorced.

Miss Fisher had got involved when a client had asked her to look into her sister’s death, also a woman recently divorced.

In the past few weeks, they had not made any progress and that was why the lady detective suggested they should pretend to be a couple getting a divorce and wait for the murderer to go after her. Jack was very reluctant about this idea at first, but what other option did they have?

There was the possibility that the person responsible for these crimes could be a worker from the court house or the registry office, so they had to go through the process of getting divorced. For that, an expert from the police had provided false documents and no one knew about the scheme except for the highest ranking judge. Hopefully, this big, crazy plan would bring the desired results.

He recognized the sound of clicking heels and Miss Phryne Fisher appeared from behind him. She wore a dress that was definitely not her style and a blonde wig.

“Hello, Mr Smith! Ready to get rid of your wife?” She smiled.

“Yes, Mrs Smith. Have you decided why we are getting the divorce?”

“I was thinking you could say I am a terrible wife.” She declared dramatically. “Didn’t clean, didn’t cook, cheated on you… Whatever bad things you can come up with!”

“So, you want me to drag your name through mud?” He furrowed his brow and smiled amusedly.

“Not mine, Mrs Audrey Smith’s. And if you do it well, I’ll even pretend to cry.” She winked. “Come on, let’s have some fun!”

**

The woman really had the power to bring joy to everything in her life. His first divorce had been tough for him but the second? He had to control himself not to burst out laughing in court. He came up with the reasons for the divorce while Miss Fisher cried, screamed… She genuinely had a flare for the dramatic. It was beyond absurd those Mr and Mrs Smith characters they had created. Now that the fun part was done, came the more risky one.

The lady detective was staying at doctor Macmillan’s apartment, since Wardlow would raise awareness to her true identity. His police car was parked on the other side of the road, discreetly noticing the activities of the neighbourhood and waiting for the killer’s attack. Constables had been taking shifts to surveille the area but he always insisted on taking the night one.

It was the third night of vigilance, when he noticed a blue car approaching at low speed. The car stopped in front of Dr Mac’s building and a man dressed in all black got out. Suspicious, Jack thought. As the man entered the building, he also got out from his car, made a signal to a constable hidden a few meters ahead of him and followed the suspect. He crossed the street, entered through the front door which had been left ajar and took the stairs with as little noise as possible, his gun in his hand, ready to take action if necessary. When he reached the second floor, Dr Macmillan was at her apartment doorway, her hands in the air, while a man held Miss Fisher by the neck, a gun pointed at her head. His heart pounded in his chest as he tried to move without bringing attention to himself. Luckily, the man was facing the doctor, his back towards Jack. The Inspector approached them and, as the lady detective gasped for oxygen at the man’s clearly tightening hold on her, he took the chance and hit him with the holster of his gun. The man fell to the ground, unconscious, while Miss Fisher took a deep breath, rubbed her sore throat and removed the blonde wig she had been wearing. 

Meanwhile, backup arrived and the man was cuffed. The criminal regained consciousness and two constables escorted him.

Mac, feeling like the third wheel, went inside her house, while Jack reached for Miss Fisher, making sure she was fine.

“Are you alright?” He asked, comforting her by placing his hand in her shoulder.

“There will be some bruising but nothing to be concerned about.” She shrugged. “Thank you for your excellent timing.”

“Thank you, for being the bait.” He smiled sadly. “Can you please stop at the station tomorrow morning? I’ll need your statement.”

“Of course, Jack.”

“See you tomorrow, then.” He said and turned to leave but stopped and addressed Miss Fisher once more. “Have you been wearing the wig this whole time?”

“Only when I go to the window or someone knocks on the door.” She rolled her eyes.

He gave her one last adoring look and this time actually left.

**

The following morning, Jack and Phryne were in his office, him in his usual place, her in the opposite chair in front of his desk. They were reviewing the statements and documents concerning the case. It all seemed to be in order, just a few more signatures and it would be closed. Jack was in a reflective mode, signing all in silence, trying to get it over while pretending to ignore her presence.

“This is a really wicked motive to kill... “ She started, trying to make him indulge in conversation. “Killing recently divorced women because he considered them immoral… where is the morality in taking someone else’s life? And all because his own wife had left him….”

“Indeed.” He replied without taking his eyes from the papers.

“If something is bothering you or if you simply want me to leave, you can tell me, Jack.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be impolite. You can stay but I’m not sure if I can explain what’s going on in my mind.”

“Let me try to help.” The lady detective offered and he nodded for her to continue. “I can imagine that this case has brought to the surface memories and feelings from your divorce and I’m sorry if that’s the case but I couldn’t think of a better way to proceed.”

“You don’t have to apologize, I agreed to do this. And yes, it brings it back and I wonder if Rosie could have been one of those women and I thank God that she wasn’t. But... “ He hesitated. “It’s not only that.”

He felt uncomfortable and unsure but the kind pair of eyes that were currently staring at him, penetrating through his soul made him want to confess the true extent of his feelings.

“I’ve told you before that the thought of losing you was unbearable.” She was about to speak but he raised his hand interrupting her, he needed to get it all out before she could manifest her opinion. “And I have realised something. I never want to get a divorce from you.”

Silence fell while he let the tension leave his body, feeling relieved to have said it aloud, even if it did not seem to make any sense.

She furrowed her brow and got defensive. “Well, I can promise you that it won’t happen since we’ll never get married.”

“I know. I also don’t want to marry you.”

“I’m not sure I am following your line of thought, Jack…”

He could not help but to feel somewhat proud, it was not every day one could confuse the unflappable Miss Phryne Fisher.

“You can look at this from two perspectives.” He said, tilting his head. “I’m saying that I don’t want to marry nor divorce you. It either means I’m not interested in you and don’t think you are worth the risk or…”

“Or?” She was growing impatient, while trying to determine if she should be offended or flattered and he was taking advantage of that.

“Or it means freedom… and love. I don’t want to marry you because I respect you and your sense of freedom and I love you too much to want a divorce, which represents losing you, in any possible way.” This declaration was a big step for them, he knew. Nervousness started crippling in but he could not take this unresolved tension between them anymore, his heart was hers and he needed her to know that.

He could see unshed tears at the corner of her eyes and surely his own mirrored hers.

“And which perspective corresponds to our relationship?” - She asked breathlessly.

He smirked. “Which one do you want?”

“Is this your idea of a proposal?” She grinned.

“Not quite, but I can arrange that.” He got up from his seat while she studied him with curiosity and then, in front of her, he got on one knee. He grabbed her hands and asked the question. “Phryne Fisher, will you not marry me?”

She laughed wholeheartedly and neither of them cared if it could be heard by the constables. The commissioner could enter right now but he would carry this romantic overture to the end.

“I will not, Jack Robinson!”

“And will you not divorce me?”

“I will not either.”

Next thing he knew, her lips were on his.

**Author's Note:**

> I'll be honest, when I started writing this, this was not the ending I had planned (actually there was no plan). But the fluff god took possession of my brain and this is the result. :P Hope you have enjoyed it.


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